The outsiders
by Vaan159
Summary: Nine years after the global apocalypse, Eliot, Isaac and their band of friends must find alternative methods of survival as rations run low and tensions grow within the the quarantine zone of Boston between the military authority and the newly established Fireflies. But when Strange attacks begin to ensue and the Infected begin their rapid growth in numbers, will they survive?


**The Outsiders**

**Beyond The West Wall**  
**No Man's Land**  
**November 4th, 2021 **  
**Y.P.E: 9**  
**05:18**

Dawn slowly crept over the snow layered ruins of the city that was No Man's Land. But by five o'clock, it was light enough to put away the oil lamp I had set aside for the night previously.  
Yawning, I stretched out both my arms above my head and leant back in my chair to take a peak out between the boards of the window beside me. Only a little longer and I would finally be able to pack up and go home for a good few hours of sleep. I took the thermos flask from between my ankles and poured myself the last of the tea into a cup. It was grey and cold now-much like the morning itself. From my little post, I was able to see almost the entirety of the derelict city space. Much of the landscape was peppered with deep and wide craters, each connected by lengthy cracks in the crust of the roads and streets. Old and overgrown stores lined the pavements and a variety of vehicles had been swallowed up by the ground beneath the. The small belvedere me and the rest of our group had made up was no better than the other apartments nearby but with the addition of some bedding materials we had found in a old caravan a few weeks ago and even a pair of oil lamps; it was somewhere nice to sit and wait out for opportunities to scavenge for supplies when outside of the Quarantine Zone. It was warm, dry and safe from patrol units or infected. With the fifth floor detached from the one below, we were safe to assume that we could even go to sleep without having to be bothered by the prospect of being caught of guard. I could actually relax from time to time. Something that I didn't even feel comfortable with in the confinement of the QZ. Not to mention when keeping myself protected, I was free to use what ever methods I saw fit outside the walls. I turned my head and smiled at my bow which was leant against a wall at the end of the room. This reminded me.  
I quickly took a small fob watch out from the front pocket of my jeans and flicked open the dirty, silver cover. The glass underneath grubby and smudged but the white face underneath noticeably cleaner than the rest of the gadget. Six hours, that's how long I'd been sat here. Six Hours. And truth be told, I was more than bored. In fact, annoyance would be a better description. I had grown only more tired of this same weekly schedule and it was driving me insane. I did enjoy the security of the lookout but I missed scouting around with Isaac and it had been ages since I had seen anything interesting. I just wanted something to do. I tightened the motley coloured scarf around my neck, flicked my collar back up around my cheeks and stretched my legs a bit as I stood. To say the least, I was worried. Having waited six hours for anyone from my group to report back or to at least drop by and say hello, I didn't want to think of what might have happened. Even less did I want to think about anything that may have happened to Isaac. I'd like to often think that he could look after himself but I still didn't like the idea of putting any of us (especially him) at risk. He was the only real friend I had.  
The fire I had made for the night had long since died out and as I passed I kicked the small iron plate underneath, spilling the ashes across the floor. For once I was unsure of what to do. Isaac would not be particularly bothered if I left for a wonder but at the same time, what if he was already on his way back and I missed him? What if he got into trouble and I wasn't here watching his back? No! What am I saying? I can't stay here, I'm going to top myself if I stay here any longer. I reached into back jean pocket and removed a pair of rolled up, green striped, fingerless gloves which I quickly slipped over my hands and began rubbing together for warmth. Yes, I do like the cold but numb fingers were always a pain in the arse. I suppose one final check on the radio could count as me making sure? This particular piece of equipment was happily thanks to my productive searches. A month or two back, myself and Isaac had searched a old radio station four or five kliks outside of a abandoned Quarantine Zone in Boston and we had luckily stumbled across a neat little' Ham radio. Having set it up in the nest, I was easily able to check in and out with the two other vantage spots in the area as well as keeping up to date with military patrols. Along with already having memorized their routines, we were able to keep track of safe spots to search and move through. The device itself was in an almost perfect working condition despite its rustic and scratched exterior. We no longer have a resident sparky but we were lucky with this that we didn't need any particular repairs. We would've given it to the engineers back home but knowing the locals, we would've not only had it taken of us but probably been question on which 'loot fairy' gave us such a gift. Personally, I'm not one for giving up such golden goods. Especially after the effort it took to haul the blasted thing back. As I reached for one of the control knobs beside the mic' switch, I was suddenly interrupted by an unexpected crackle of static through the speaker. I quickly killed the nauseating din with the com' button and spoke loudly.  
"This is lookout 2, Status report?" I took my finger back of the button and the silence was again replaced with static; no response. Trying again, I put my finger back to the control and spoke once more. "This is Eliot from lookout 2. Anyone available to respond?" I waited. Suddenly realizing how quiet the room actually was, the static was rather cryptic and uncomfortable. A moment passed and the tinny blare finally subsided.  
"Do you even know what time it is? What do you want?" I sighed with the sound of the familiar but metallic and crackled voice. The reception seemed to be worse than normal.  
"You have no idea how good it is to hear even your dull tones Sam." I chuckled. It seemed like I was the only reason for him to have stirred from his predictable hibernation. "What's happening on your end?"  
"No activity. Same as yesterday and the day before that. Same as any other fuckin' day. Now is there anything else you want to bother me with?" He hissed.  
"Well yes actually; know where Isaac last called from? I'm thinking about clocking off." I persisted. It was always entertaining to irritate Samuel in the early hours of the morning. Shouldn't be long before he regained his usual abusive nature however.  
"What the- wait. Give me a sec'…" Sam disappeared for a moment. I could faintly hear some kinda clattering of some sort. As if he was searching for something. I could only smirk at the faint imaginings of a tired and docile Sam fumbling around his apartment.  
"He left a message. Asked for you to… Wait, what does that say?" He groaned. "Yeah, yeah. Gear up-He said gear up when you're not busy. He wants you down at Clifford street."  
"what for?"  
"Do I sound like I give a shit?"  
"Fine then, you can go back to sleep-"  
"I wasn't sleeping!"  
"Yeah, eating the rest of our rations then."  
"Ha ha ha! Fuck you too!"  
"Bye Sam! Bye!" I cheerily sang down the mic before cutting him off. I'd had my fun for the morning. However, hauling ass to see Isaac was nice but being alone in my trip was a less than appealing concept. I groaned and backtracked across the room to collect my stuff. Having got most of my equipment ready from moving over here, I simply threw my bag over my shoulders, tightened the straps and took the bow from the wall. Using one of the larger pockets as a quiver, I was able to easily carry a select few arrows within easy reach. Other than this, I took a simple length of rope tied to the belt loops round my waist, a face make with a drained filter to match and an old revolver with a few rounds we had found in a military lockup. Travelling light was not something easy in modern circumstances and being unprepared for the dangers of the outside was even more foolish. It had become second nature to even carry varying baggage and supply kits to ensure that no valuable opportunities were missed and we would be able to collect any and all useful materials when scavenging. Finally satisfied with my inventory, I took a walkie-talkie from the desk and left.  
Due to the lack of day light, the corridor outside was much darker than the other rooms and the air was thick with the stench of rotting wood. The years of old wallpaper had been replaced with dense layers of moss, mold and varying stages of decay. Which was surprising due to the numbing temperatures for this time of year, the wooden boards beneath my boots creaked and splintered as I stepped across them and small flickers of dust followed me overhead? After no more than a few steps I came to a ledge in which the floor gave way to a abysmal open hole that stretched between the two walls and far out across to the door on the far end. The drop surpassed the floor below it, and the floor below that, before ending in a pile of rubble and wooden remains. I leant out and peered down at the abyss. The drop only seeming to get darker the further down it went. I looked back up at the pulley nailed to the roof above and followed the wire that snaked down onto the ledge; collecting beside my foot. It was a crude system but it enabled us to be the only ones to access this level of the building. I took a hold of the pile from the floor and tighten the slack before tying myself on the cord. I fastened the knot and tugged at the mechanism before concluding that I was as safe as I could be. With a final reassuring glance, I turned my back to the ledge and braced. A small crumb of dirt breaking off from beneath me and falling the distance and shattering as it hit the bottom. I leant out and pushed off slightly before rapidly descending. My hand rapidly began to warm as I griped the small sheath of material. I turned as my face narrowly skimmed the second ledge and cursed loudly as my legs abruptly slammed into the ground, causing me to loose my balance and fall on my backside; cursing again. I brushed down my arms and inspected the reddening skin of my palms. My arse hurt. So did my legs. But I had made it-just about. I disconnected from the wire and tied it to the wall to make it a little less conspicuous. As far as preventing anyone getting to the nest, at this stage was simply keeping to a time schedule and only leaving the place unattended for as short a time as possible. Many traps had been put in place but there was always a chance. As with anything these days.  
"What do you thinks going on?" Sam spoke out through the Talkie in my shirt pocket. I took out the com and held down the button.  
"What'd mean?"  
"Well, it's not often he ask for 'ya to trek across the city"  
"Well, it's clearly something important then." I said.  
"Like what though?"  
"I dunno, could be anything. What'd you think?" I asked.  
"Well, I just hope its cleaning out spores. I'm sick to death with me doin' it. 'Bout time you got some work.-"  
"Aie, aie, aie! I think I've got just as much on my plate as you?"  
"Bullshit! You don't know what work is." He spluttered. I could just about hear a chuckle out of him.  
"Has anyone called in from Clifford yet?" I asked again.  
"Not as far as I know. Not that I care."  
"Of course, of course." I sighed.  
I came to the end of the corridor and stepped through one of the few doors that wasn't bared by military frame locks. Gripping the handle, I pushed with my shoulder and broke it free. I felt the cold breeze of the outside on my cheeks as I stood atop the iron steps that led to the ally way below. My footprints from the last night still visible in the snow.  
"I'm in the ally and moving for the street. I'll be around twenty minute's tops. Anything longer than that, I want you to assume the worst and get the rest of the group in check." I spoke into the com again.  
"Got it. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, so I've got your back in till the end of Sheffield Street. Your on your on after that."  
"Thanks, I think?"  
I casually bounced down each of the steps and confidently sauntered out into the open street. The cold had already begun to get to me. I pulled at my scarf and wrapped it over my mouth and nose. My breath warming my face nicely. The snow was a lot thinner than I first thought and much of it was beginning to melt away, leaving icy and sludgy remains.  
"I see you now, look for the scope glint, 5th floor" The speaker croaked again. Looking left, the library on the corner of the crossroads stood alone in its size and was completely separate in construction from the other buildings that led to the four-way crossroads further down. Just above some old scaffolding and a collapsed floor, which spilled over the edges and onto the road below; a single window closer to the centre was unique from the others and was missing any boarding or cork pane replacements. Outstretched from the square opening, I found the wrapped barrel of Sam's weapon returning my gaze, Sam hidden behind a dirty sheet than hung from the top of the frame. I waved and the gun cocked slightly in response. The road in front of me was marked with a pair of new tire tracks. A patrol must have been through before I woke up. It wouldn't be long before they did another scout and with curfew in progress I was only at more of a risk travelling in the open.  
"Hey, dipshit? Thinking about moving any time soon?" I came around and looked back up at Sam, crudely stuck my finger up return. Another light chuckle into the mic. I took the bow from my back and clipped the nock of the arrow onto the string and proceeded to make my way down the road. I had a sense it was going to be a long, long day.


End file.
